


Concerning Love

by nekonekonomi (y_uu)



Series: (even fake) marriage is bliss [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Five Years Later, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderfluid Character, Internalized Homophobia, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Multi, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Dino, Oblivious Sawada Tsunayoshi, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:12:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6659446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/y_uu/pseuds/nekonekonomi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They told Tsuna he would inherit the sins of his forefathers, but nobody said anything about an arranged marriage contract bearing his name.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Or, the one where Dino proposes, Tsuna faints, Gokudera sets something on fire, and Reborn laughs loudly in the background.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is !! a gift for my best and lovely, lovely friend @lunaerum! (I hope you like it, bae!) We actually plotted this whole fic together when we were still rping, like, a year ago, but we never did write it and it's something that I've always regretted not doing with her. Instead of that thread I owe her, I'm going to try and write her the nicest fic possible following the same tropes and premises we talked about!!
> 
> The fic is based in a post-canon verse, five years or so after the breaking of the Arcobaleno Curse. Tsuna is almost 21, the Guardians are between 21 and 23, Dino is 26. Reborn has been acting as Tsuna's advisor all these years. Since half of the Guardians are currently studying and going to college they are still based on Namimori, but plans to move to Italy on a semi-permanent basis are being drawn. 
> 
> There will appear some f/f, m/m and het relationships in the background but Dino/Tsuna is going to be the main one. I'll try to put forth some foundations for a future Dino/Tsuna/Hibari OT3 but I can't promise anything yet.

The phone didn’t stop ringing, not the least sympathetic to the headache building up beneath his eyelids. He’d already had to reschedule his meetings for that afternoon due to the intermittent stabs of pain, he didn’t want anything to intrude in what was supposed to be his time of rest but he had a feeling his brief daydream of quiet and peace were doomed.

The caller ID was Reborn’s, after all.

Albeit more grateful than words could convey toward his past tutor, and all that he had done for him, Dino knew by experience that the _Number One Hitman_ was a harbinger of **chaos**. He was strangely reluctant to answer the call. Of course, if he failed to answer the consequences wouldn’t be good for him either, so he mostly resigned himself to it.

Whatever it was, he was sure Tsuna was somehow involved (like he had been ever since Reborn took on the other under his wing), and he couldn’t very well deny his little brother anything he needed, could he?

“Yes, hello!” He hummed uncertainly at the dark vibes coming from the other side of the phone. Had something happened? “Is everyone okay?”

“Dino, I need you to come to Japan right away.“ He wanted to interrupt, questions bubbling up on his mouth. But one just does not interrupt Reborn. “I’ll explain why once you’re here.” Which, great. That did not help. In the least. Worry made him clench his jaw, fingers gripping the phone tightly. _Tsuna wasn’t hurt, was he?_

He itched to whine at Reborn to explain further... but once the man decided something there was no force on Earth that could move him.

“I need… half a day to settle matters here, Reborn. I can’t just leave my family, but I’ll be there as fast as I can. The flight alone will take another eight hours, if not more, I’ll try to take our newest plane. Give me twenty-four hours.”

“Hurry up.”

The call ended with an ominous click.

* * *

 

Dino slumped back into his seat. Anxiety was gnawing at his chest, an uncomfortable but nonetheless familiar weight.

While brief, the conversation had left his head reeling.

Reborn wasn’t the sort to _unnecessarily_ request things of him. He wondered what kind of mess had the Neo Vongola gotten himself into this time. The Cavallone line possessed no pre-natural intuition, but he could guess. Reborn hadn’t called for himself. He never had. And Tsuna was honestly prone to too much danger and destruction for someone originally born into civilian life.

With a serenity that he didn’t feel, he reached forward and contacted Romario to inform him of the situation. The Rain wouldn’t be too happy with him, he knew. He hated hoisting off all his work to the already overworked man… but he hated the idea of failing Reborn and Tsuna even more.

He’d make it up for the man later, maybe grant him a week off to enjoy with his family. That sounded nice. He made sure to write it down just in case, along with the list of things he'd need to pack before he left.

 

 


	2. locate the stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wincing, he stretches in his seat, long arms reaching for the cabin’s ceiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter!! I'm really happy with the interest people have shown for this fic! The comments and kudos really motivated me, thank you all! Hopefully this first chapter reaches the expectations generated by the prologue! I'll try to keep a weekly update schedule and I'm forcing myself to post only when I have, minimum, 1500 words written up. I'm not used to writing and planning ahead like this, but I'll try my best.
> 
> Dedicated to @lunaerum <3 ! The most lovely and talented person I know!! I urge all to check out her account, or tumblr by the same name!

There is a hierarchy one should never forget within the Mafia - and Dino, as the Don, is at the upper top of his particular family pyramid. He can’t just grab his bags and leave.

He has a duty to his subordinates that trumps even the esteem and helpless affection he feels towards his former tutor.

The man had made him a great service by teaching and supporting him, shaping him from the spoiled brat he once was into the proud boss of the Cavallone he is today – something he is sure he’ll never be able to completely repay – and it is only fair to put his self in the hitman’s hands whenever he asks for it, he is not always able to, however.

He feels the _stirrings_ of guilt twisting in his gut for making Reborn wait, but it can’t be helped.

There are appointments to delay, security measures to arrange and a frightening quantity of overly-mothering family members to pacify before he is even allowed to go to his rooms and pack, clothes hastily thrown together.

He takes his three favourite whips, a gun with its back-up clip, and the cage he uses when travelling with Enzo. He trusts Reborn to have other weaponry available once he gets there, if there’s need of it. He hopes there isn’t.

As he shoulders his bag and uses the conference option on his phone to call the dons of the allied families that border his territory, to apologize for the reunions he might miss if things get complicated down in Japan, he can’t help but worry over what made Reborn order his presence with such haste…

The car leaves him in the privately owned airport where a dozen family members are waiting to wave him goodbye. His cheeks flush when he notices they are carrying flowers; he supposes they are for him.

The anxiety he had been carrying eases off almost immediately. With such wonderful people supporting him he knows he can face anything. Dino waves them goodbye with a heartfelt smile and boards the nearby jet.

* * *

As the plane takes to the skies Dino looks out through the window and wonders. He can’t seem to stop himself. His mind keeps backtracking to the same thought again and again in a terrible loop of uncertainty and apprehension.

Tsuna is a skilled boss, a genuinely good person, a very capable fighter -- with many and very talented people to support him, and yet -- There are still plenty of enemies who’d like nothing more than to hurt and destroy all that he has accomplished.

It’s a frightening thought.

He looks at the phone sitting innocently by the side table and considers calling Kyoya… But he doesn’t dare risk _waking_ Kyoya – the time difference between their countries works against him in this case. It’s night-time in Japan. Dino would need either a shield or a bribe to talk to the Cloud right then and he has none.

Whatever it is that is going on… it’s _probably_ not as bad as he fears.

He exhales noisily behind his teeth and shakes his head. It wouldn’t be worth it. Reborn should be ready to update him as soon as he lands.

Still, the impulse is there.

He presses slightly _shaking_ hands into his eyes and breathes slowly through his mouth.

He’s overthinking this. Surely it won’t be as dreadful as what is going through his head. Reborn hadn’t said it was something _bad_ , and he is sure that if there are injured or causalities among his acquaintances he’d have said something.

He looks at the numbers in the phone before sighing and re-locking it. It’s no use. He’ll just have to wait.

* * *

Dino rolls his head to the side, blearily blinking as his surroundings spin sharply. He shouldn’t have taken a nap. Everything hurts, particularly the lights. _Ughhh_.

Wincing, he stretches in his seat, long arms reaching for the cabin’s ceiling.

They should be approaching the international airport of Haneda soon. Namimori didn’t have an airport of its own, being a small-town place, so they have to make-do. It isn’t as much of a bother as it could be, though, since there is a car waiting to take him there fast enough to make the time lost relatively worthless.

 _Why was he worrying over this, again?_ It didn’t matter if he got there twenty-five minutes or three hours later, whatever it was that they needed his help with had already happened and no amount of – of _overthinking_ would change that.

He splashes water onto his face in the tiny plane bathroom and deliberately slows downs his breathing. He looks awful, like he hasn’t slept in days.

From some dark crevice on his bag he manages to wiggle out a toothbrush and paste. After cleaning his teeth and applying some concealer under his eyes he begins to feel like an actual human being.

His hair is fine, if slightly oily, but a clever trick he learned from his Rain Guardian vanishes all traces of discomfort from his features, bright flames burning all impurities away.

Still, his eyes seem muted and sad -- more grey than blue – and give away his feelings more than he’d like. He can’t meet Tsuna with such an unhappy look on his face. He can’t, in good conscience, show his little brother such a sad sight.

 _Positive attitude!_ He should have a more positive attitude. There is no use in imagining world-ending scenarios when he knew nothing for certain yet. A positive outlook would serve him best. All this worrying and worrying was making him gloomy and depressed.

* * *

Japan is sunny and green when he lands, spring-time having overtaken all the scenery with its bright colours and sweet smelling scent. The sun is barely a sliver of gold-red in the sky be the time he steps in the foreign soil.

The beautiful view blurs outside of the vehicle but a few rosy petals slide by chance through the half-open window and land on his lap.

If he has time, he’d love to visit the cherry blossoms with Kyoya.

It’s been years since they’ve had the chance to do anything like that together, sadly, but Dino truly enjoyed himself last time. Kyoya looked like he had fun too. They need to do more things together outside of work.

People don’t believe him when he tells them, but to him the Cloud is surprisingly pleasant to spend time with. Problems begin when too many people get together and make a mess, testing the Cloud’s restraint and bringing his bloodlust to a high.

In a good mood Dino would rate his company a nine out of ten.

In a bad mood they still could have a great time -- they fit together well and know each other’s weak points, so it’s always a challenge to fight against the other – sparring for hours on end until one claims defeat – but Dino finds that he prefers the quiet over the adrenaline.

It’s still too early to call, the day only just beginning, but he still hovers over the contact information for a moment too long.

He will call later.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning there are very few people out in the streets so there’s nobody to surprise when the flashy black Ferrari parks before one of Namimori’s many middle-class family homes.

It’s the old Sawada house, with the same blue paint and same peaceful aura it had so many years ago now when he first saw it. The door opens before he can ring the bell. A stilled silence fills the air and Dino can’t help his reaction, he jumps back.

Dark eyes watch his instinctive move with muted amusement, a soft snort aiding further in his shame.

When will he stop automatically _recoiling_ at the sight of the Tutor-Of-Hell? _God_ , _it’s been years._ He needs to grow out of his stupid defensive instincts, it’s not like they are of any use against Reborn, anyway. The hitman can still kick his ass without shedding a single drop of sweat.

“You’re late, Dino.” Malice practically drips from the obscured figure as he steps back into the shadowed hallway. “Come. We have a problem. I’ll explain in Tsuna’s room.”

Dino stares after the hitman. That didn’t sound good.


End file.
